# What does AI recommend for payroll software (freelancers)? Checked 2026-10-23 ## In short On 2026-10-23, Claude (Anthropic) with web search was asked "best payroll software for freelancers". It named 13 brands; the first six, in order, were Wave, QuickBooks, QuickBooks Solopreneur, Patriot Full Service, OnPay and Gusto. | Fact | Value | | --- | --- | | Question | best payroll software for freelancers | | Asked on | 2026-10-23 | | Engine | Claude (Anthropic) with web search | | Model | claude-opus-5 | | Brands named | 13 | | Sources cited | 12 | | Audience | freelancers | | Coverage | Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. | | Last verified | 2026-10-23 | Page: https://bikoosh.com/answers/q/payroll-software/freelancers Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included. ## The answer, as recorded Asked on 2026-10-23 through Claude (Anthropic) with web search (model claude-opus-5). > ## First, the fork that decides the answer > > "Payroll software for freelancers" means three different things, and most listicles blur them. Picking right saves you $400-600/year. > > **If you're a sole proprietor or single-member LLC with no employees: you do not need payroll software at all.** The IRS treats you as not an employee of your own business - you can't put yourself on payroll, you take owner's draws, and you report on Schedule C plus Schedule SE (15.3% self-employment tax on net earnings over $400). Buying payroll here is pure waste. What you actually need is bookkeeping and quarterly estimated taxes: **Wave** (free accounting tier) or **QuickBooks Solopreneur** is the right purchase. ([IRS: Sole proprietorships](https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/sole-proprietorships), [IRS Pub 334](https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334)) > > ## If you're an S-corp and must pay yourself a reasonable salary > > This is genuine one-employee payroll, and it's the most common reason a freelancer legitimately needs this software. > > 1. **Patriot Full Service - $37/mo + $5 per worker paid.** Cheapest credible full-service option; includes federal, state and local filings and d ## Brands named, in the order the engine gave | Position | Brand | How it was named | |---|---|---| | 1 | Wave | mentioned | | 2 | QuickBooks | mentioned | | 3 | QuickBooks Solopreneur | mentioned | | 4 | Patriot Full Service | mentioned | | 5 | OnPay | mentioned | | 6 | Gusto | mentioned | | 7 | Gusto Simple | mentioned | | 8 | SurePayroll | mentioned | | 9 | Square Payroll | mentioned | | 10 | Deel | mentioned | | 11 | Remote | compared | | 12 | Wise | mentioned | | 13 | Gusto Contractor | mentioned | ## Sources the engine cited - https://www.irs.gov/businesses/small-businesses-self-employed/sole-proprietorships (reference) - https://www.irs.gov/publications/p334 (reference) - https://www.patriotsoftware.com/payroll/compare/patriot-software-vs-gusto/ (other) - https://onpay.com/payroll/ (vendor) - https://onpay.com/insights/s-corp-payroll-guide/ (vendor) - https://support.gusto.com/article/106621945100000/change-your-gusto-plan-or-view-pricing (vendor) - https://www.surepayroll.com/resources/article/s-corp-payroll-one-employee-yourself (vendor) - https://squareup.com/us/en/payroll/contractors (other) - https://squareup.com/us/en/payroll/pricing (other) - https://support.waveapps.com/hc/en-us/articles/36228345826068-Wave-s-full-access-payroll-subscription-pricing (other) - https://www.deel.com/pricing/ (vendor) - https://dupple.com/learn/deel-vs-remote (other) Permanent address of this answer: https://bikoosh.com/answers/s/payroll-software-freelancers-2026-10-23 ## Sources cited across the 20 recorded answers to this question Alphabetical; a domain with a record links to it. - adp.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/adp.com) - airwallex.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/airwallex.com) - authencio.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/authencio.com) - beltstack.com - blog.taxbandits.com - business.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/business.com) - business.org (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/business.org) - cheapestpayrollservice.com - collective.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/collective.com) - connectpayusa.com - costbench.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/costbench.com) - deel.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/deel.com) - dupple.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/dupple.com) - elearningindustry.com - eorhq.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/eorhq.com) - fitsmallbusiness.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/fitsmallbusiness.com) - freelancer-tools-guide.com - g2.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/g2.com) - getapp.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/getapp.com) - gusto.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/gusto.com) - gustopricing.com - irs.gov (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/irs.gov) - kemecon.com - launchadvisor.co (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/launchadvisor.co) - lettuce.co (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/lettuce.co) - nerdwallet.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/nerdwallet.com) - onpay.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/onpay.com) - patriotsoftware.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/patriotsoftware.com) - paychex.com - payrollsignal.com - peoplemanagingpeople.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/peoplemanagingpeople.com) - relayfi.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/relayfi.com) - remotepeople.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/remotepeople.com) - research.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/research.com) - resources.rework.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/resources.rework.com) - selfemployed.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/selfemployed.com) - softwarefinder.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/softwarefinder.com) - squareup.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/squareup.com) - support.gusto.com - support.waveapps.com - surepayroll.com - technology.org - techrepublic.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/techrepublic.com) - toolradar.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/toolradar.com) - tr-web.dev.trustradius.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/tr-web.dev.trustradius.com) - trustedproductscout.com - upcounsel.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/upcounsel.com) - waveapps.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/waveapps.com) - wise.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/wise.com) - wisemonk.io (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/wisemonk.io) - work-club.com (https://bikoosh.com/answers/source/work-club.com) Alerts and membership: Answer Watch Pro, 79 USD per month: https://bikoosh.com/answers. Bikoosh is monitoring assistance, not complete protection. Answer Watch records what one AI answer engine said on one date, nothing more. Each page names the engine and the model, carries the date the question was asked, and lists the brands that appeared in the answer in the order the engine gave them, with the sources it cited. It is a measurement, not a ranking, not a recommendation and not a claim about the world. Brands that did not appear in an answer are not named on any public page. Coverage: Claude (Anthropic) with web search. Other engines not included.